Marine forest, a strategic project of Redeia

For the preservation of marine ecosystems

The Marine forest Platform is a Redeia initiative designed to promote the conservation of marine ecosystems with a high ecological value through scientifically validated active and passive restoration efforts, as well as environmental education and awareness-raising activities. 

We seek to create a collaborative environment among society, public administrations, the private sector, scientific institutions, and the third sector, in order to multiply the positive impact on the marine environment.

Restoring posidonia meadows in the Mediterranean

Our first experience was the restoration of 2 hectares of posidonia oceanica in Mallorca in 2018. Following the launch of the Marine Forest platform in 2024, Redeia is driving both passive and active restoration projects in the Mediterranean and is working to expand its positive impact to other marine species and habitats.

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Introduction of the platform in the Bay of Pollença (Mallorca)

On 25 and 26 September 2024, at the military airfield in the Bay of Pollença, Mallorca, Redeia introduced the Marine Forest platform during a Scientific Seminar where around one hundred experts discussed the main threats facing marine ecosystems and proposed potential solutions. The event was attended by institutions, public administrations, companies, the scientific community, NGOs, and marine conservation foundations.

Valencia hosts the 2nd Marine Forest Scientific Seminar

On 1 and 2 October, the Oceanogràfic in Valencia will host the 2nd Marine Forest Scientific Seminar, where the platform will present the progress made over the past year. Experts will analyse the challenges facing marine ecosystems and share the best science-based solutions and proposals to improve ocean health.

Valencia acoge el II Seminario Científico Bosque Marino
Why do we need to protect marine ecosystems?

Marine ecosystems are one of the main biodiversity reserves on Earth, home to 250,000 species. They are also key to our survival as they capture 26% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions and provide half of the oxygen we breathe.

The Spanish marine ecosystem harbours a gem: Posidonia oceanica, an endemic aquatic plant from the Mediterranean with great ecological and economic value. These seagrass meadows offer shelter and food for around 700 species, many of which are of fishing interest. Additionally, they protect our coasts from erosion and can store twice as much carbon as a temperate, tropical forest—it is estimated that all underwater seagrass meadows on the planet capture 10% of the annual carbon stored in the oceans.

These ecosystems face serious threats, largely caused by human activity.

What are our lines of action?

Our goal is to restore as many hectares as possible by 2030. We are starting in the Mediterranean to leverage our knowledge and experience. In particular, with Posidonia oceanica, an endemic gem from the Mare Nostrum. However, we won’t stop there. This is just the first step in our collaboration for the benefit of marine habitats.

Together with allies, partners, and collaborators who wish to contribute to the platform's objectives, we will work to remove barriers or stressors in marine habitats that prevent their regeneration. Through public and private collaboration in ocean restoration, we seek to expand the potential reach of both species and marine sites to be protected.

We will support new research and innovation projects from scientific and academic institutions to develop new techniques for restoring marine habitats. We will also promote the dissemination of the technical and scientific knowledge acquired in order to increase their impact.

We will develop environmental education and awareness-raising actions and programmes concerning the global importance of a healthy ocean. Our aim is to join forces to increase our impact as we believe that an informed and educated society is key to achieving our goals.

Previous experience and knowledge in service of our seas

The Marine Forest platform was born from Redeia and Ecomar's combined efforts and experience for the preservation of marine ecosystems. Now, they share this knowledge with society and the scientific community, but most importantly, with marine ecosystems.

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Redeia

Through Red Eléctrica, Redeia has a successful track record in the restoration of Posidonia oceanica in the Balearic Islands. The construction of the submarine electricity interconnection between Talamanca (Ibiza) and the bay of Santa Ponsa (Mallorca), along with our commitment to deploy the infrastructure with minimal impact on the Posidonia oceanica seagrass, led the company to develop a research, conservation, and environmental education project in 2014. This initiative has resulted in a valuable methodology for seagrass collection and planting, leading to the recovery of 2 hectares of seagrass meadows in the bay of Pollença (Mallorca).

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Ecomar

After 25 years of caring for our seas and oceans, the Ecomar Foundation is now leading an initiative to advance and assess techniques for the collection, cultivation, and experimental replanting of Posidonia oceanica in new areas for the recovery of seagrass meadows. The project is co-financed by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund through the Pleamar Programme and will result in the collection of at least 18,000 seeds, seedlings, and fragments. It will also involve the restoration of approximately 3 hectares of Posidonia in the Mediterranean basin. The fishing industry and citizens will actively participate in the project.

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IMEDEA-CSIC

The Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies is a joint research centre between the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB). Its mission is to transfer scientific knowledge to society—particularly on marine, coastal, and island ecosystems—and to deepen our understanding of the environmental processes that shape the planet. The institute brings together the expertise of specialists from various disciplines to foster a collaborative research environment. In its search for solutions to environmental challenges, IMEDEA-CSIC, in collaboration with Redeia, developed a scientific method for replanting posidonia that has achieved a success rate of over 90%.

Contact

If you want to learn more about the platform, email us at bosquemarino@redeia.com.